The old farmhouse doesn’t look much like it did when it appeared in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Moved from north Austin to the shores of Lake LBJ in Kingsland in 1998, the building has been spruced up as Hooper’s, a restaurant named for the director of the 1974 classic movie. Credit: Gerald E. McLeod

Hooper’s has been a popular eating establishment since 1973 when the “chain saw family” sat down for a meal of body parts in the front room. Five decades later, the house is a Southern dining institution in Kingsland on the shores of Lake LBJ.

Fun fact: Gunnar Hansen (1947-2015), the actor who played Leatherface in the horror thriller The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, wrote a fascinating 2013 memoir about the making of the cult classic in the house that is now the restaurant.

The old farmhouse was an abandoned shack on Quick Hill Road, now off the western end of Grand Avenue Parkway in North Austin, when the movie crew arrived in July 1973. Still, the owners weren’t too happy when Hansen accidentally cut into a door frame with the chain saw during a scene. The building was moved to Kingsland and renovated in 1998.

Leatherface, the central character in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, holds a place of honor behind the bar in the restaurant’s sports pub. The walls of the eatery are decorated with rare posters and memorabilia from the movie. Credit: Gerald E. McLeod

Named for the film’s director, Tobe Hooper, the restaurant offers a menu of classic dishes in the bright and airy dining rooms. A sports bar with Chain Saw movie posters and memorabilia decorating the walls and a dog-friendly patio was recently added. 

Gone are the 2 acres of marijuana plants that Hansen says were growing behind the house on Quick Hill Road during the filming. If you remember the movie there are parts of the house that might look familiar, especially the staircase. 

What evil lurks upstairs? Characters from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre inhabit the second-floor landing. Credit: Gerald E. McLeod

At the top of the staircase is a spooky reminder of the cult classic that was filmed in the house. There on the landing is Leatherface holding up his yellow chain saw. Sitting next to him are Grandpa and Grandma surrounded by bones and human limbs. It’s all in good fun, but still a little creepy.

Hooper’s is at 1010 King Court in Kingsland about a block off FM 1431. The pub and deck are open daily while the dining rooms offer service Wednesday through Sunday. 

1,819th in a series. Everywhere is a day trip from somewhere. Follow “Day Trips & Beyond,” a travel blog, at austinchronicle.com/day-trips.

This article appears in August 14 • 2026.

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Gerald E. McLeod joined the Chronicle staff in November 1980 as a graphic designer. In April 1991 he began writing the “Day Trips” column. Besides the weekly travel column, he contributed “101 Swimming Holes,” “Guide to Central Texas Barbecue,” and “Guide to the Texas Hill Country.” His first 200 columns have been published in Day Trips Vol. I and Day Trips Vol. II.